End functionalization of carbon nanotubes

ABSTRACT

Carbon nanotubes may be selectively opened and their exposed ends functionalized. Opposite ends of carbon nanotubes may be functionalized in different fashions to facilitate self-assembly and other applications.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to the formation and utilization of carbon nanotube structures.

Carbon nanotubes are graphene cylinders whose ends are closed by caps including pentagonal rings. The nanotube is a hexagonal network of carbon atoms forming a seamless cylinder. These cylinders can be as little as a nanometer in diameter with lengths of tens of microns in some cases. Depending on how they are made, the tubes can be multiple walled or single walled.

The carbon nanotubes may become the building blocks for mechanical, electronic, and biological structures. However, such applications require combining carbon nanotubes with one or more other elements. One way to combine these carbon nanotubes is to functionalize the nanotubes and then combine them with other chemicals or molecules.

Thus, there is a need for better ways of functionalizing carbon nanotubes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention at an early stage of manufacture;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical, cross-sectional view for an embodiment generally similar to FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 10 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view further corresponding to FIG. 6 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 12 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 13 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 14 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 15 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 16 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 18 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 19 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 20 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 21 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 22 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 23 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 24 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 27 after further processing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, carbon nanotubes 10 may be aligned on a substrate 12. The alignment may be accomplished using electric fields or molecular combining as two examples.

The substrate 12 and carbon nanotubes 10 are then covered with a photoresist layer 14 as shown in FIG. 2. The photoresist layer 14 is patterned by lithography as shown in FIG. 3 to form a mask 14 a over the carbon nanotubes 10. Plasma etching, indicated as O₂ etching in FIG. 4, may be applied to cut nanotubes 10 into uniform length as shown in FIG. 5. The lithography may include photolithography, e-beam lithography, or other lithography. While an oxygen plasma etching process is illustrated, other techniques are possible as well.

As shown in FIG. 6, a carbon nanotube 10 may be aligned on a substrate 12. A number of other carbon nanotubes 10 aligned generally parallel to the illustrated nanotube 10 may be arranged extending into the page in FIG. 6.

Thereafter, the nanotubes 10 and the substrate 12 may be coated with photoresist 16 as shown in FIG. 7. Lithography may be utilized to expose the end portions of the carbon nanotubes as shown in FIG. 8. Oxygen plasma etching (FIG. 9) may then burn out the exposed end portions of the carbon nanotubes 10. The carbon nanotubes 10 are then cut to the length defined by the lithography.

The cut nanotubes 10 have open ends. A solution of chemical agents (layer 18) is then applied to the ends of nanotubes. The sidewalls of the nanotubes are still protected by photoresist 16. As a result, chemicals in the layer 18 (FIG. 10) can only access the open ends of the carbon nanotubes 10. One or more functional groups from the layer 18 may be attached to the open ends of the carbon nanotubes 10 from the chemical laden layer 18. Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the layer 18 may include carboxylic or amine groups. The layer 18 containing different chemicals can be applied more than once to attach multiple functional groups to the ends of nanotubes.

As shown in FIG. 11, the photoresist 16 and the chemical laden layer 18 may be removed to obtain the functionalized carbon nanotube 10. The ends A and B may both be functionalized in one embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 12 through 17, a single end functionalization technique is illustrated. The end to be functionalized is illustrated as B in FIG. 12. The carbon nanotube 10 may be covered with photoresist 16 as shown in FIG. 13. Lithography is utilized to expose only end B of the carbon nanotube 10, as indicated in FIG. 14. The carbon nanotube 10 may be cut off to length using oxygen plasma etching as shown in FIG. 15. The exposed, open-ended tube 10 may then be coated with a chemical laden layer 18 to end functionalize the end B of the carbon nanotube 10, as shown in FIG. 16. In FIG. 17, the chemical laden layer 18 and the photoresist 16 may be removed. At this point, only the end B of the carbon nanotube 10 is functionalized. Applying the same process to end A may functionalize end A with a different molecule. The tube length may be defined by the lithography in the two-step end functionalization process.

Referring to FIGS. 18 through 25, the end A is to be functionalized with a chemical that may not be compatible with photoresist. The carbon nanotube 10 may be covered by a layer of photoresist 16 as indicated in FIG. 19. The end B of the carbon nanotube 10 may then be exposed (FIG. 20) using conventional photolithography process to remove a portion of the photoresist 16. Thereafter, a layer of silicon dioxide or another protection material 20 may be deposited over the structure as shown in FIG. 21. The deposition may be done using conventional chemical vapor deposition and lithography in one embodiment.

Thereafter, the underlying photoresist 16 may be removed, resulting in the structure shown in FIG. 22. The exposed portion of the carbon nanotube 10 (not covered by the silicon dioxide 20) may then be removed using oxygen plasma etching as shown in FIG. 23. The resulting structure may then be covered with an end functionalizing chemical 18 to end functionalize the open ended carbon nanotube 10 in FIG. 24. Thereafter, the chemical 18 and the silicon dioxide 20 may be removed as shown in FIG. 25.

Referring next to FIG. 26, the end functionalized carbon nanotubes 10 may be utilized for self-assembly of carbon nanotube arrays. The functionalized ends A and B are arranged so that the end B extends vertically and the end A is attached to a structure 24 to which it is attracted. The structure 24 is also functionalized with molecules that specifically bind to the functional groups on the ends A of the carbon nanotubes 10 and not the functional groups on the ends B. The end functionalized carbon nanotubes 10 already have one end A attached to the structure 24. The other end B may stay in solution. The resulting structure may form a self-aligned vertical array with uniform thickness. An example of one application is for thermal interface material (TIM) fabrication.

Referring to FIG. 27, end functionalized carbon nanotubes 10 may be utilized for self-assembly of an organized carbon nanotube array at a specific location and orientation on the substrate 26. An area 30 of the substrate 26 is functionalized with molecules that specifically bind with functional group on the end A. Another area 28 is functionalized with molecules that specifically bind with functional group B on the opposite end B of the carbon nanotubes 10. If the distance between the attachment points is equal to the length of the end functionalized carbon nanotubes 10, the first end A of the functionalized carbon nanotubes 10 binds to the area 30 and the second end B binds to the area 28.

Referring to FIG. 28, the structure shown in FIG. 27 may be further processed to include a gate dielectric layer 32 and a gate electrode 34. The use of an array of nanotubes 10 may increase the current drive of a transistor formed using the nanotubes 10 as an effective channel. The transistor may include a source 30 and a drain 28 that are functionalized to attach to specific carbon nanotube functionalized ends A and B.

In one embodiment, a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule may include the information to drive the self-assembly process. A single stranded DNA molecule may be attached to the end of a carbon nanotube using the method described above. The single stranded DNA may have a sequence complementary to another single stranded DNA molecule or to a linker of a double stranded DNA at desired locations. The two DNA molecules may be bound to each other according to sequence matching between the two types of DNA molecules, and thus immobilize the end of the nanotube to the desired location.

The carbon nanotubes 10 may be functionalized with a protein streptavidin. That protein may bind to an antibody that attaches to a specific location, locating the nanotube 10 at the correct address. The nanotube assembly may be placed on a passivated, oxidized silicon wafer before metallization.

In some embodiments of the present invention it is possible to select to functionalize only one or more ends of a carbon nanotube. In some embodiments different ends may be functionalized with different molecules. Lithography and etching methods may be utilized to selectively expose one end of a carbon nanotube. The exposed end can then be chemically functionalized and may be connected with one or more other functional groups of available molecules. The second end of the carbon nanotube can be exposed by repeating the lithography and etching process. The second end of the carbon nanotube may then be functionalized with a second functional group or be connected with one or more available molecules.

In addition, end functionalized carbon nanotubes of uniform length may be utilized for these procedures. The different functionalizations at the two ends of the nanotubes may be useful in self-assembly and pattern formation for building components of carbon nanotubes. For example, it may be useful for biosensors.

Carbon nanotubes may be made either polar or amphiphilic by appropriate modification. One end of the resulting carbon molecule may then be immobilized and alignment may be achieved through molecular combing. One end only may be functionalized with biomolecules and the structure may then be utilized for a biosensor in one embodiment.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention. 

1. A method comprising: selectively severing a portion of a carbon nanotube; and functionalizing the exposed portion of the nanotube.
 2. The method of claim 1 including covering the carbon nanotube with a mask, removing a portion of the mask to expose a portion of said carbon nanotube and etching away the exposed portion of the carbon nanotube.
 3. The method of claim 1 including aligning a plurality of carbon nanotubes, covering said plurality of carbon nanotubes with a mask, selectively exposing the selected portion of said aligned carbon nanotubes, and selectively etching away exposed portions of said nanotubes.
 4. The method of claim 2 including using oxygen plasma etching to etch the exposed portion.
 5. The method of claim 2 including covering said carbon nanotube with photoresist to act as a mask.
 6. The method of claim 2 including covering said carbon nanotube with silicon dioxide to act as a mask.
 7. The method of claim 1 including covering the carbon nanotube with a mask, exposing opposed end portions of said carbon nanotube, etching both end portions, and functionalizing both exposed end portions.
 8. The method of claim 2 including coating said exposed portion with a chemical to functionalize said end.
 9. The method of claim 8 including exposing said end portion to a chemical laden chemical including an amine or carboxylic group.
 10. The method of claim 3 including exposing said functionalized end to a material that is chemically attracted to said functionalized end.
 11. A method comprising: functionalizing the opposed ends of a plurality of nanotubes; arranging said nanotubes in parallel to one another; coupling said functionalized ends of said nanotubes to opposed source and drain regions; and forming a gate electrode over said nanotubes.
 12. The method of claim 11 including functionalizing said opposed ends differently and using a source region which attracts one end of said nanotubes and a drain region that attracts the opposite end of said nanotubes.
 13. The method of claim 11 including selectively severing the caps of each carbon nanotube and functionalizing the exposed ends of said nanotubes.
 14. The method of claim 13 including providing a plurality of aligned nanotubes and covering said aligned nanotubes with a mask.
 15. The method of claim 14 including selectively etching said mask to expose end portions of said nanotubes.
 16. The method of claim 15 including etching to open the ends of said nanotubes and functionalizing said opened end.
 17. A transistor comprising: a source region; a drain region; a plurality of nanotubes extending between said source and drain regions; and a gate electrode over said nanotubes.
 18. The transistor of claim 17 wherein said nanotubes are parallel to one another.
 19. The transistor of claim 17 wherein said nanotubes are spaces equidistantly from one another.
 20. The transistor of claim 17 wherein said nanotubes have functionalized ends.
 21. The transistor of claim 20 wherein said nanotubes have opposed first functionalized ends coupled to said source region and second functionalized ends coupled to said drain region, said first functionalized ends attracted to said source region and not said drain region.
 22. The transistor of claim 17 wherein said nanotubes are capless. 